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National Taiwan University

Taiwan 2022/2023 Partner universities

Personal data
Mobility type:
study

Faculty at MU:
Faculty of Arts

Field of study:
Chinese Studies / Chinese Studies

Level of study during period of placement:
Master

Language used:
not selected

Summer/winter school?:
no

Period of studies:
spring 2023

Period of placement (from-to):
2023-02-08 - 2023-06-14

Number of months:
5.00

Activities before my departure abroad
Where can information be found about courses taught at the foreign school?:
on their website, but I believe you only get the full picture once you are accepted

Which documents were needed for acceptance at the foreign university?:
confirmation of studies, letter of motivation, health form - this one was a bit too much,passport, photo, transcript of records, proof of medical and accident insurance

How far ahead did you have to organise your acceptance?:
During the semester before leaving

Did you need a visa?:
yes

Documents and materials needed for a visa:
passport, acceptance letter, confirmation of studies (i think), maybe something else i don't remember

Length of wait for visa:
1-2 days in Slovakia

Fee for the visa:
varies if you want one or more entries, more entries was 90€ I think

Studies
Did you have a Learning Agreement signed before your departure?:
no

If not, why not?:
the registration for classes was enabled very late and the administration of NTU was not willing to sign the LA if it is not final

Before your departure did you know how your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
more or less

During your stay did you change your Learning Agreement?:
yes, but before all parties confirmed it

When and how did course registration take place? Are there any restrictions? Possibilities of making changes?:
there were 3 or 4 waves for registration, then in the first 2 weeks you could go to any class and ask the teacher or TA for a registration code to register with - if the class still had any space

Did you take any examinations at the foreign school?:
yes

Does the school use the ECTS system?:
no

If not then explain how the credits there were recalculated into ECTS:
I am honestly not sure, for our department the type of class (C or D) mattered

Describe the teaching methods (theory, practical and projects) and assessment of students:
too much teamwork - it is very difficult to work effectively in such a multicultural team, a lot of assignments and presentations during the semester

no time to write the final papers, submission was already in the last semester week.

Quality of teaching in comparison with home school:
depends on class, the professors were much more knowledgeable in

How did you receive study materials?:
through NTU cool - their IS

Can you recommend an interesting course/subject/teacher?:
there are so many courses that everyone can choose what suits them best. I recommend going to see more classes in the beginning and then when you see you don't like / the professor's language skills are not good etc you can unregister

How well is the school library equipped?:
very well, much better than MU (for the fields I'm interested in)

Availability of computers, internet access, level of software needed, requirements on notebook:
I am not sure about computers but internet was okay

Options from printing and copying:
at the uni but also at convenience stores (7eleven, family mart)

Does the foreign school/student organisation arrange special events for exchange students?:
yes

If yes then what?:
orientation

How would you assess your integration with the local students (evaluation like in school from 1 to 5 with 1 as highest):
3

or describe in your own words:
more or less fine, but i didnt manage to meet that many taiwanese students, mostly foreign degree students

Practical questions on your placement
Where did you live?:
in an overpriced one bedroom mice ridden no kitchen apartement in Daan

Cost of accommodation - monthly:
800 EUR

Additional comments to the price of accommodation (as to what the price includes):
divided by 2 because I shared the apartement. Living conditions in Taipei are probably the most precarious I have seen in a "developed" country. Terrible.

Describe the equipment. Tips for future students – what should they bring with them?:
bring rat traps

we had to buy blankets and sheets ourselves

How and how far ahead should accommodation be organised?:
you can find a place when you arrive, booking in advance was a bit difficult but possible

What are the catering options?:
convenience stores, restaruants - taiwanese food is often bland and just generally not tasty, try JJ poke if you want to eat vegetables, foreign cuisine restaurants are nicer

What are the rough costs of groceries (compare with Czech prices):
probably a bit more expensive, I dont know the Czech prices these days.

eating out in restaurants is cheaper, because you have to do so all the time.

Transport to location of placement:
plane, buy tickets early

Rough prices for transportation:
bikes - 5NTD per 30 minutes
MRT - depends on the distance, usually 20-25 NTD
buses - 15NTD

Tips for purchasing cheap tickets and other recommendations:
you will get a little student discount, there is a monthly pass also

What are the local transport options (public transport, cycling, on foot, rough prices):
the air is terrible and cars are everywhere, you can do whatever you like but be aware of scooters and cars when walking and cycling

easy card works for all types of transport

What kind of formalities have to be arranged before arrival, for example residence permit?:
visa

What health insurance did you use? (rough price, advantages, disadvantages, is it necessary to arrange insurance at the university other than your home (Czech) insurance?):
ISIC, the only one that fits NTU´s requirements

Did you have any experience with medical treatment abroad?:
no

Did you work during your studies?:
i did an unpaid internship

What are the conditions for working for MU students?:
I dont know, probably you cannot work on student visa, even more complicated if you are on a TW government scholarship programme

Tips for free-time activities:
maybe hiking around taipei, try to travel before June because of the heat and rain

Financial support and expenses
Total grant from Centre for International Cooperation:
80000 CZK

Monthly grant in CZK:
20000 CZK

Number of supported months:
4

Total number of months:
5 and a half

What other sources did you make use of to finance your placement?:
my own money

If you received another grant, state which and how much in CZK:

 
Total fees associated with enrolment at the university:
0 ???

a/ amount of enrolment fee:
100 TWD

b/ amount of tuition fees:
0 CZK

c/ amount of other fees (which):
600 CZK

 
What was your average monthly expenditure?:
30 TWD

a/ of which for accommodation:
13000 TWD

b/ of which for catering:
10000 TWD

c/ travel and recreation:
10000 TWD

Any comments to the average monthly expenditure:

Recognition of foreign studies at the home faculty
How many credits did you gain during your studies (in the system of the foreign school)?:
14

How many ECTS credits were recognised at MU?:
28

Did you know in advance which of your courses would be recognised by your home faculty?:
yes

What problems did you have with recognition?:
none, just that the classes were probably a bit more difficult than the ones at MU and could get more ECTS

Overall assessment
Assessment of personal benefit (1 = excellent):
2

Assessment of academic benefit (1 = excellent):
1

Evaluate the information and support provided by the foreign school (1 = excellent):
2

Did you encounter any serious problems during your stay:
Just a lot of small problems daily.

What would you recommend to take with you:
A classic European rat trap, prepare for the humidity rain and heat, some food you like.. You can buy everything (except for rat traps) cheaper and pretty easy in Taibei.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a positive way:
The variety of classes on China and the region.

What most surprised you at the partner university in a negative way:
A lot of teamwork tasks - with teammates who are sometimes very careless and incompetent, but the professor usually ignores that and lets everyone pass. Also, the Chinese language classes were cramped with people, which is not great for learning Chinese. If that is the reason why you are going, consider paying for another course where there is fewer people, and the teacher lets you speak more. It is quite expensive at NTU though

Further comments: